Media Releases
Current
Diamond drillers receive national certification to kick off pan-Canadian launch
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA (May 11th, 2012) - Eleven workers from Boart Longyear Canada and Foraco Canada Ltd. are today the inaugural group of Canadian diamond drillers to receive national personnel certification through the Canadian Mining Certification Program (CMCP), marking the official launch of diamond driller certification across Canada.
Developed by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) and members of industry, the CMCP is the cornerstone of the mining industry's efforts to recognize the skills, knowledge and experience of its workforce.
In tandem with this national launch, the Council would also like to announce its partnership with the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association (CDDA) in support of its new company certification program, Drilling Excellence Certification (DEC), which includes a requirement for qualified companies to align their training programs with the MiHR-developed National Occupational Standard (NOS) for diamond driller, or the relevant Common Core modules. More...
Archived
New study reveals mining companies are exploring alternatives, like dual-career paths, to retain knowledge workers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA
(October 14, 2011) - Dual-career development paths are being adopted by
mining companies to retain knowledge workers as the global competition
for talent becomes more fierce, according to a new study, released by
the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, in partnership with the
Canada Mining Innovation Council.
The two organizations have joined
forces to publish Making the Grade: Human Resources Challenges and
Opportunities for Knowledge Workers in Canadian Mining. Knowledge
workers are a key segment of the mining sector's workforce and play an
essential role in research and innovation. A significant proportion of
this group is now nearing retirement age which could lead to a
devastating loss of both specialist knowledge and leadership in the
sector.
Knowledge workers are typically defined as people who are
highly educated, technologically savvy, and engaged in work that leads
to the creation of knowledge and innovation. They apply theory and
factual knowledge quickly and creatively to solve complex problems with
shifting parameters. "Despite their importance, the industry lacks key
information about this segment of the workforce throughout all phases of
the mining cycle" says Dr Martha Roberts, Director of Research at the
Mining Industry Human Resources Council. "Making the Grade aims to
bridge this gap, helping to create a better understanding of knowledge
workers and enable industry partners to become more proactive and
strategic in workforce planning" she adds. Examples of knowledge worker
occupations include: engineers, geoscientists, financial analysts,
health and safety professionals, business professionals, management,
etc. More...
Related media release:
Mining industry hiring requirements to peak in 2011 according to national report released by the Mining HR Council
OTTAWA (September 6, 2011) - Human resources challenges continue to threaten the future competitiveness of the Canadian mining industry. A combination of factors including the pending retirement of the baby boom generation, difficulties in attracting and engaging youth and an under-representation of diverse groups paints a challenging ten-year talent forecast. While the industry has taken tremendous strides in addressing these issues, finding experienced and skilled workers is becoming more difficult, and competition across sectors of the economy is increasing, according to a new report released by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR).
The Canadian Mining Industry Employment and Hiring Forecasts 2011 report, an annual publication, includes adjustments to the MiHR forecasting model, namely updates to the economic variables and the Commodity Price Index. The general improvement in the outlook for the global economy and for commodities has led to hiring projections in the 2011 report which have increased from the already substantial numbers of the 2010 report. More...
Mining Industry Human Resources Council's executive director receives the CIM Bedford Canadian Young Mining Leaders Award
OTTAWA (May 31, 2011) - The Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) celebrated its second award of the evening last Monday at the Canadian Institute of Mining National Conference & Exhibition as the leadership and achievements of their Executive Director was formally recognised through the CIM Bedford Canadian Young Mining Leaders Award.
The CIM-Bedford Canadian Young Mining Leaders Awards encourage and accelerate the development of leadership in Canadian mining by recognizing outstanding achievement and the potential of young Canadian mining leaders from around the world. They recognize workers 39 years of age or less for exceptional achievement, as well as their potential for future leadership growth in various sectors of mining, including corporate performance, operations, finance, technical services and innovation, marketing and services. More...
Mining companies lead collaborative HR working session at CIM National Conference
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA (May 24, 2011) - Mining companies are today coming together to bring forward their most effective and proven HR challenges during an industry-led, interactive panel session facilitated by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) at the CIM National Conference & Exhibition in Montreal.
The panel session, which runs from 8:30 - 9:45 a.m. in Room 513 AB at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, features four panelists from some of Canada's top mining companies to identify and discuss innovative solutions that address the industry's key HR challenges.
Between November 2010 and January 2011 Canadian mining companies submitted examples of their innovative HR practices and initiatives to MiHR Innovate, a newly-launched online collaborative platform for mining HR professionals that was developed by the MiHR Council. A selection of these practices will form the content for this panel session.
Senior human resources leaders are taking participants into their organizations, to share their stories, answer questions on their approach and encourage other mining companies to do the same - innovate. More...
Mining worker certification pioneers receive the Canadian Institute of Mining Distinguished Lecturer Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA (May 24, 2011) - Last night the mining industry recognized the achievements of two mining industry members as they received the CIM Distinguished Lecturer Award for "... their leadership and outstanding contributions in the development of the Canadian mining industry's first national worker certification program for underground miners, open pit miners and minerals processing operators."
CIM Distinguished Lecturers are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in scientific, technical, management or educational activities related to the minerals industry, and speak at CIM Branch meetings across the country.
Development of mining worker Certification, as part of the Canadian Mining Credentials Program, began six years ago in direct response to a need for skills recognition and mobility of the mining workforce. Jim Utley, Vice President, Human Resources for Teck Resources Limited and Co-Chair of the CMCP Steering Committee and Barbara Kirby, Senior Director, Workforce Development for the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), led the program since its inception and their joint Distinguished Lecturer award reflects their achievements in bringing this program to the mining industry. More...
Mining industry recognises Canada's first nationally certified mine workers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA (May 24, 2011) - It can take several years to develop a skilled worker for the mining industry. These skills and years of experience can now be documented and recognized through national certification via the Canadian Mining Credentials Program (CMCP), developed by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR). The Council will hold a national recognition event this evening to celebrate the achievements of the inaugural group of 95 CMCP-certified workers at the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) Conference & Exhibition in Montreal, taking place from 6:30 - 8 pm at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, Room 510BD.
The certification program was six years in development and is based on industry-defined standards. To date, it includes National Occupational Standards developed for four key mining occupations: Underground Hard Rock Miner, Surface Miner, Minerals Processing Operator, and Diamond Driller. These four Standards form the basis for the program's certification criteria.
During the program's pilot, the progress of participants was tracked by an appointed workplace assessor and documented using a skills passport. The passport not only verifies the skills of an individual for the benefit of current and future employers, but also enables workers to plan their career development. More...
Related media releases:
BATHURST, NB (April 15th, 2011)- Xstrata Zinc's Brunswick Mine workers certified in industry pilot
CRANBROOK, BC (April 8th, 2011)- Teck's Greenhills Operation workers certified in industry pilot
FLIN FLON, MB (March 16th, 2011) - Cementation workers at Trout Lake Mine certified in industry pilot
SUDBURY, ON (March 10th, 2011) - Cementation workers at Totten Mine certified in industry pilot
YELLOWKNIFE, NT (March 7th, 2011) - Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine workers certified in industry pilot
KAMLOOPS, BC (March 3rd, 2011) - Teck's Highland Valley Copper workers certified in industry pilot
PRINCE GEORGE, BC (March 1st, 2011) - Northgate Minerals Kemess South Mine workers certified in industry pilot
Mining HR Community facilitates collaborative working
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA (January 31st, 2011) - The Canadian mining industry faces several labour market challenges and tens of thousands of skilled positions must be filled in the next decade to keep the industry robust.
The latest research from the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) indicates that even in the most pessimistic forecast, the industry will need to hire nearly 60,000 workers by 2020 to meet the needs from changes in employment and replacement requirements. A period of relative stability in the sector will see hiring requirements balloon to 100,000.
Despite impressive increases in the participation of various demographic groups (e.g., women), employers are still faced with an aging workforce and a looming labour shortage, according to the MiHR Council, which has developed a number of products and resources to help provide industry with practical solutions to address this challenge. MiHR Innovate, the latest resource developed by the Council, is a collaborative platform for sharing knowledge and effective HR practices and initiatives. The first Canadian mining-specific HR community, MiHR Innovate provides mining HR professionals the opportunity to open up the dialogue and engage with fellow members of industry in the world of mining HR. More...
MiHR Council receives $1 million in funding to support its labour market research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONTRÉAL (September 17, 2010) - Co-hosting the annual federal-provincial-territorial Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference, the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced support to the Mining Industry Human Resources Council for mining-related labour market information initiatives. More...
Custom labour market information for Canada's mining industry: MiHR Council launches two powerful resources offering extensive research and analysis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OTTAWA (September 9, 2010) - The Canadian mining industry faces several labour market challenges and tens of thousands of skilled positions must be filled in the next decade to keep the industry robust. Despite impressive increases in the participation of various demographic groups (e.g., women), employers are still faced with an aging workforce and a looming labour shortage, according to the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), which today launched the Canadian Mining Industry Employment and Hiring Forecasts 2010 report and Mining HR Forecasts to proactively address these challenges and help industry meet future hiring requirements.
Developed under MiHR's Mining Workforce Information Network (MIWIN), these two new resources provide the most extensive research and analysis on Canada's mining labour market and workforce planning. More...
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